Corruption claims hit Leighton shares

SHARES in construction giant Leighton have dropped by nearly 10 per cent after reports corruption and cover-ups were rife in the company and known to its top executives.

Leighton issued a statement before the market opened to say it is not aware of any new allegations or instances of a breach of its code of ethics.

"The directors of Leighton's subsidiary companies and of Leighton Holdings are aware of their responsibilities and have at all times executed their duties with the appropriate care and diligence, and in the best interests of each relevant company," it said.

The company itself referred accusations of the payment of bribes by one of its subsidiaries working in Iraq to the Australian Federal Police in 2011.

The AFP is continuing to investigate the matter.

But Fairfax Media on Thursday said internal company files indicated corruption was more widespread, and known to top executives.

The company's shares fell heavily when trade began on Thursday, down $1.78, or 9.1 per cent, at $17.80 at 1022 AEST.

The company went public with the potential breach in Iraq in early 2012, after keeping the matter confidential for several months to allow the AFP to collect evidence about the matter.

"That Leighton self-reported the matter which is the subject of the AFP's investigation ... is evidence of the culture of integrity and openness that has been established across the Leighton Group," the company said.

"The company is focused on ensuring that its values are consistently applied across the Leighton Group and any deviation from those values will not be tolerated."

Leighton sacked a senior executive in July 2012 after its own investigation into the alleged breach of its code of ethics in Iraq in 2011.

The company has also launched a court action against the former employee to recover $5.6 million for alleged breaches of contractual and fiduciary duties relating to the construction of a barge in Indonesia.

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Quoll returns to Vic park after 141 years

AFTER 141 years in hiding, one tiger quoll has unwittingly put its species in the spotlight at Victoria's Grampians National Park.

Confirmed as the first Grampians sighting since 1872, the elusive marsupial was caught on film by a remote camera on September 25.

Parks Victoria official Ben Holmes said he was stunned at the discovery.

"I honestly couldn't believe my eyes when the photos were sent through from our field crew," he said.

"There is no mistaking the spotted body colour, which can only be a quoll."

Despite a number of unconfirmed sightings in recent years, the tiger quoll was presumed to be extinct in the national park.

Grampians National Park ranger Dave Roberts said the carnivorous predator was a sign of a thriving ecosystem.

"Having a native predator in the system is a great sign that the park is supporting a healthy, functioning ecosystem," he said.

Tiger quolls are endangered in Victoria and considered 'near threatened' on the International Union for Conservation of Nature red list.

Parks Victoria said it plans to refine its camera monitoring techniques to try to gain a clearer picture of the tiger quoll population at the national park.

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ALP contenders back free vote on marriage

Prominent union boss Paul Howes wants Labor MPs to be forced to vote in favour of gay marriage. Source: AAP

NEITHER prospective Labor leader will back moves to force all Labor MPs to vote in favour of same sex marriage.

The party's platform currently supports gay marriage but gives its parliamentary representatives a free vote on the matter.

But Australian Workers Union boss Paul Howes thinks that's a mistake.

He'll tell an Australian Marriage Equality forum in Sydney on Wednesday it's an issue of social justice, not individual conscience.

The forum will include supporters of same sex marriage across party lines, including Tony Abbott's sister Christine Forster.

"Just like with racial discrimination, it is vital to understand that our past discrimination against people in same sex relationships is not some sort of fundamental starting point for humanity," Mr Howes will say.

"I want tonight to urge my party to finally disown this phony notion that we should be affording equal respect to both sides of the gay marriage debate, as if it were some exquisitely balanced moral quandary that could never be unlocked by mere mortals. It is not."

He wants the party's 2014 national conference to change the rules so there isn't a conscience vote.

But both leadership candidates Bill Shorten and Anthony Albanese say while they personally support same sex marriage, it should be a conscience matter.

Mr Albanese said legalising same sex marriage was a reform whose time had come and parliament should act.

"But equally, I believe this can best be achieved when all members and senators are given a free vote on any future legislation," he told AAP.

With Labor MPs split on the issue and the coalition insisting its politicians vote against same sex marriage, several bills put to federal parliament have been doomed.

Mr Shorten's spokeswoman said he was of the view that limiting the vote would not be consistent with his vision for a diverse, inclusive Labor Party.

The Australian Christian Lobby managing director Lyle Shelton said the issue had been given a fair go.

"It would be damaging for to Labor continue to tie itself to this agenda," he said.

"Labor's 2014 national conference should really be focussing on how the party can better appeal to the centre on social policy, including how best to promote policy which supports, wherever possible, a mother and father for children."

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NSW cops question insurer over stolen art

Eighteen artworks stolen from a property in 2010 have been seized at a family home in Wiley Park. Source: AAP

POLICE are talking to an insurer over the discovery of $1.5 million worth of artworks at a family home in Sydney's south west.

Police searched the house at Wiley Park on Monday and found 18 artworks by famous Australian artists, including John Perceval and Pro Hart, reported stolen from an exclusive Darling Point property in 2010.

The artworks were found intact with "minor electrical items" from the same house.

Superintendent Michael McLean from Campsie Local Command said it was surprising to find the electrical equipment as well as the artworks years after the initial robbery.

"We're a little surprised we found all of those items that were stolen during the break and enter during 2010," he told reporters on Wednesday.

He couldn't say whether the owner of the paintings had taken out a claim but did say police were talking to an insurer in relation to the incident.

"Part of our discussions have been ... with a particular insurer within the last 24 hours or so," he said.

A black Range Rover, blue BMW and a Ferrari were also found in the house.

Supt Michael McLean said the condition of the cars "indicated some type of rebirthing effort being under taken at the premises".

He said it was unlikely the find was part of a wider criminal enterprise.

Police have talked with the family living at the home and are continuing investigations.

They couldn't say whether the family was known to police.

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WA devils Saxon and Vandal NSW-bound

TASMANIAN Devils from a zoo south of Perth are being moved to a NSW wildlife park to add genetic variety to a breeding program.

The two devils, Saxon and Vandal, are half-brothers to Itchy, Scratchy, and Genghis - the trio that hit headlines last year when they escaped from Peel Zoo in Pinjarra and were recovered days later thanks to help from the public.

Saxon and Vandal are on their way to Featherdale Wildlife Park in Sydney, where it's hoped they will breed, adding genetic diversity to the resident colony.

Peel Zoo co-owner David Cobbold said the facility played an important role in providing the nocturnal carnivores to other organisations that lacked appropriate breeding facilities. It started with four devils and has so far bred 15.

"It's quite a big feather in our cap," Mr Cobbold told AAP.

"Their DNA could be extremely valuable to the breeding program."

He said testing of Saxon and Vandal's DNA was necessary to see if they were suitable for breeding and that was being undertaken at the University of Sydney.

Peel Zoo's original four devils were obtained from Tasmania Zoo and East Coast Natureworld, but there was no record of their lineage," Mr Cobbald said.

"There's nothing known about our devils. We don't know who their parents were."

Collecting the tissue samples from all 18 of the feisty critters had proved tricky - and it had to be done twice.

"Using a hole-punch on a devil's ear isn't the easiest job," Mr Cobbold said.

If Saxon and Vandal aren't deemed suitable for breeding, they will be sent to a zoo - possibly overseas - to display to the public and hopefully raise awareness about conserving the endangered species, which is being ravaged by a contagious facial tumour disease.

"They're quite iconic and extremely important, but not quite as cute as a panda, so they don't get as much attention," Mr Cobbold said.

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Clinton movie, TV miniseries scrapped

An Oscar-winning filmmaker has dropped plans to make a documentary film about Hillary Clinton. Source: AAP

AN Oscar-winning filmmaker has dropped plans to make a documentary about Hillary Clinton, following protests by Republican rivals, and a planned TV miniseries about her has also been scrapped.

Charles Ferguson, who was making his film for CNN, faced criticism from Republicans that it would promote the former US secretary of state's expected 2016 presidential run, while Democrats were reluctant to speak to him.

"When I approached people for interviews, I discovered that nobody, and I mean nobody, was interested in helping me make this film," he wrote.

"After approaching well over a hundred people, only two persons who had ever dealt with Mrs Clinton would agree to an on-camera interview, and I suspected that even they would back out."

Ferguson, who won an Oscar for Inside Job, his 2010 documentary about the financial crisis, said he began with the idea of making a film which was independent and fair on the former secretary of state, senator and first lady.

But Clinton was not co-operating and some Democrats were concerned about it as a commercial venture, Ferguson said. Republicans claimed the film would promote Clinton, who is considering a 2016 White House run.

"Neither political party wanted the film made," Ferguson said.

"It's a victory for the Clintons, and for the money machines that both political parties have now become. But I don't think that it's a victory for the media, or for the American people," added the filmmaker, who was also nominated for an Oscar for his Iraq War documentary, No End In Sight.

Earlier this year, Republicans threatened to prevent two US television networks from carrying party primary debates if they don't abandon planned documentaries on the former first lady.

A few hours after Ferguson's announcement, NBC Entertainment announced that it had scrapped a planned miniseries on Clinton.

"After reviewing and prioritising our slate of movie/miniseries development, we've decided that we will no longer continue developing the Hillary Clinton miniseries," NBC said in a statement.

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Evidence tendered over NSW cop death

Three post-mortem photographs of slain NSW policeman Bryson Anderson have been tendered in court. Source: AAP

THREE post-mortem photographs of slain NSW policeman Bryson Anderson have been tendered in court as evidence as his alleged killers face a committal hearing.

Detective Inspector Anderson, a 45-year-old father of three, died after he was fatally stabbed while trying to calm a neighbourhood dispute over a bird cage in Oakville, in Sydney's northwest, on December 6 last year.

Fiona Barbieri, 45, and Mitchell Barbieri, 19, have been charged with his murder.

On Monday, the pair fronted Sydney Central Local Court for the start of a four day committal hearing into the killing, which Magistrate Christopher O'Brien adjourned until Wednesday.

Both accused showed little emotion in the brief hearing during which volumes of written evidence, nine DVDs showing police "walk-throughs" of the crime scene, and three post mortem photographs were tendered as evidence.

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Funtastic looks overseas to boost profit

TOY company Funtastic is shifting its focus towards international markets due to the persistent weakness of the Australian retail sector.

Chief executive Stewart Downs said sales of Funtastic products declined in Australia in the year to end of July, but international sales were up sharply.

"We've come to a view that things will remain challenging (in Australia) for the forseeable future and for us to have growth it will come from doing business outside of Australia," he told AAP.

"We've seen an almost doubling of our international business year on year and we expect a strong trend going forward."

Funtastic has been moving away from its sole focus of distributing toys and confectionary produced elsewhere, to manufacturing products to be exported across the globe.

Mr Downs said the company had achieved great success so far with its Chill Factor Slushy Maker, which was launched during the European winter, selling 2.4 million units as of May.

The company has sold 40,000 units in Australia since launching the product a month ago.

Funtastic hopes to repeat the success with the release of an ice cream maker later this year.

In addition to the Chill Factor, Funtastic produces Pillow Pets soft toys, QuickSmart baby products and pool products Floaties.

It also holds the Australian distribution rights to a wide range of toys, including Disney, Ben 10 and Lego Stationary.

The company made a profit of $13.96 million in the year to July 31, up 34 per cent on the previous year.

Most of the profit increase was linked to a $3.3 million gain made from a renegotiation of the amount it paid for a license to manufacture and distribute certain Lego stationery products.

Excluding that one-off gain, earnings were $20.7 million, up slightly from $20.2 million in the previous year.

"There is only a slight growth but for us its our second year of sustainable earnings," Mr Downs said.

"We think it's a strong result given the difficult conditions that exist within Australia."

Funtastic has also paid a total dividend of one cent for the year, the first time it has paid dividends since 2006.

Mr Downs said he was confident the company will continue to return money to shareholders over the coming years.

Funtastic shares were up one cent at 15.5 cents at 1504 AEST.

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Qld cops on hunt for brawling bikies

GOLD Coast police say they will throw the book at every bikie found to have been involved in brawls that injured four officers.

Acting Assistant Commissioner for the southeast region Steve Hollands said 23 detectives were trawling CCTV footage of the two fights on Friday night.

Twenty have already been charged over the tussles - one was outside a Broadbeach restaurant and the other outside the Southport police station.

Chief Superintendent Hollands said police are looking to identify more participants as well as escalate the existing charges.

"They'll be charged and prosecuted to the full extent of the law," he told reporters on the Gold Coast.

However despite a police crackdown on bikies, only one of 28 people arrested on Saturday night was a member of an outlaw motorcycle gang.

That person had been picked up in a car, had been armed with a baseball bat and was a nominee, not a full gang member, the chief superintendent said.

The other arrests were mostly for public order breaches, although one was for carrying a knife and others were for minor drug-related crimes and traffic breaches.

Up to 60 officers from Brisbane have arrived on the Gold Coast and will remain for a week.

In addition a special task force involving up to 50 local uniform police officers has been established to target outlaw motorcycle members.

The operation will also involve plain clothes and specialist police and run for five to six weeks or for as long as needed, Supt Hollands said.

The superintendent said police would discuss with the government the issue of banning people wearing bikie gang colours, particularly at nightclubs.

"We're going after them (bikies) personally, we're going to be after their associates, we'll be looking at their assets (and) we'll also looking at those who are behind the scenes," he said.

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Only 19 arrests in Freo after AFL loss

ABOUT 40,000 people packed the streets of Fremantle to watch the AFL grand final, but police say the number of arrests were not much more than a typical Saturday night in the port city.

Police said they were "generally happy" with the behaviour of the crowd, many of whom were devastated by their team's loss to Hawthorn.

WA Hotels Association executive director Bradley Woods said the lack of alcohol-fuelled crime proved that the industry could self-regulate, despite an uproar earlier in the week from the police commissioner about some pubs opening several hours before the midday game started.

Only the Sail and Anchor pub closed its upstairs balcony about half-way through the match after some fans misbehaved by tipping beer onto the heads of other patrons.

But police arrested just 19 people including a 19-year-old man who was charged with assault after allegedly becoming involved in a pub fight.

Police said the young man was being evicted from the Norfolk Hotel at 7pm (WST) when he began arguing with a 44-year-old man and punched him in the face.

The victim fell to the ground and hit his head on a kerb, requiring hospital treatment for a cut on his chin and an abrasion to the back of his head.

The accused man ran away but was chased by police and arrested.

He is due to appear in the Fremantle Magistrates Court on October 11.

The 18 other arrests included charges of assault, assaulting a public officer, disorderly conduct and obstructing police.

Police also issued 46 move-on orders and eight liquor infringements, while four more people will be summonsed for charges including assaulting a public officer and disorderly conduct.

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